Benjamin f



B. F. WILLISTON. RAILWAY SWITCH.

Patented Jan. 26, 1892.

Imam/67):"

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN F. XVILLISTON, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNO R OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES E. SMART, OF SAME PLACE.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 467,730, dated January 26, 1892. Application filed February 26, 1891. Serial No, 382,889. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: switch normally in the position shown in Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. WILLIs- Fig. 1. TON, a citizen of the United States, residing I is an offset upon the bar D, to which is at Jackson, in the county of Jackson and State pivotally secured the connecting-bar I, which of Michigan, have invented certain new and is secured at its opposite end to one arm of useful Improvements in Railway-Switches, of the bell-crank lever J, which is preferably which the following is a specification, referpivoted upon the barrel F. The other arm ence being had therein to the accompanying of the bell-crank lever is connected to a rod drawings. K, which is secured centrally to the bar L,

IQ This invention relates to new and useful extending parallel with the rails of the main 6o improvementsin railroad-switches;andit contrack and in close proximity to the head sists in the peculiar construction of a switchthereof. This bar is of a length equal to the rail designed to be operated by a hand-lever, greatest distance between the tracks of any a bar located beside the rail moved by said railway-car, and is supported by the links M 15 lever or its connection, so arranged that as normally in an inclined position, as shown in soon as the train reaches the bar the wheels full lines in Fig. 2, in which position the top of the train will hold the switch in its adof the bar L is slightlybelow the top of the justed position as long as any truck of the rail. These links are pivoted to the blocks car is upon it, and a spring for returning the N. These blocks are all secured to a single 20 switch and bar to their normal positions as plate 0, which lies directly beneath the rail soon as the train has passed. of the track, and is spiked to the ties in such The invention further consists in the pea manner as to prevent its creeping. This I culiar construction, arrangement, and combipreferably accomplish by notching the sides nation of the various parts, all as hereinafter of the plate, as shown at- P, and drive the 25 more fully described. spike in such a manner that the body will In the drawings, Figure l is a plan View enter that notch, as plainly shown in Fig. 4. of a railroad-track to which my invention is The plate may be aperturcd to accomplish applied. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. the same result.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section thereof on line 00 as, The parts being constructed and arranged 0 showing the switch extended and operatingsubstantially as described, if a train moving 8o levers in operation. Fig. 4 is an enlarged 011 the main trackisdesired to beside-tracked, section on line y y. or if a train on the side track is desired to A are the rails of the main track. enter the main track, the operator by turn- B are the rails of the switch, and C is the ing the switch-lever E will throw the switch- 3 5 movable section or switch-rail. The switch is section 0 in proper position. It will be necheld normally in position to allow the train essary for the operator to retain his hold of to pass upon the main track. the leverE after he has moved it in that po- D is the switch-operating bar secured to sition, as such movement compresses the the switch-rails and extending to the side of spring H. The movement of the lever also 40 the track, where it is connected tothe switchrocks the bell-crank lever into the position lever E and the switch-stand E of ordinary shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and through construction. the medium of the connecting-rod K also rocks F is a barrel or box surrounding the conthe links to an oppositely-inclined position, necting-bar Doutside of the rails andin proxas shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The top 5 imity thereto. lVithin this barrel the barD of the bar L being substantially level with is provided with a head G, which bears against the top of the rail beside which it is placed one end of a spiral spring H, sleeved upon the as the train moves forward, as soon as the bar and bearing with its other end on the opfirst truck has passed to a position over the posite side of the barrel, all so arranged that bar L the operator will release his hold of 5c the tension of the spring will tend to hold the thelever E, as the switch-section may beheld 10o such length that before the forward trucks of' in its adjusted position by a wheel bearing upon the top of said bar. This bar is of atrain pass oi the wheels of the rear trucks will have engaged therewith. As soon as the train shall have passed clear of the switch 7 and of engagement with the bar L the spring II will be free to expand, and will return the bar to its normal position (shown in full lines in Fig. 2) and at the same time retain the switch-section in proper position relative to the main track.

I am aware that heretofore switches have.

been made designed to be moved by a part of a train and held in their adjusted position by the movementof the train and returned to their normal position by a spring; but it is to overcome the objection to such switches as this that my device is constructed.

I desire to make it necessary for some one to be in position to operate the switch by means of alever and to remain at such point until the train has actually passed from one track to the other, and then that the operator may be free to get upon the train, the switch being held in its adjusted position by the train until it shall have passed, and will then be returned to its normal position by the tension of the spring.

The use of my bar L with the links M, adapted to be moved to oppositely-inclined positions, I consider an especially good construction. It is evident that it looks the switch-rail positively in either one of two positionsthat is, either in line with the main or side track. It is evident that the bar L may be located either beside the rails of the side track or on the main track.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a railway, the combination, with the track, of a longitudinally-movable bar at the sides of the rails thereof, inclined pivoted supports for the bar, a switch-rail, an actuating-rod connected therewith, a spring for normally holding the bar in an extreme position relative to the stand and the switch open, and-a leverfor moving the rod back and reversing the inclination of the links against the tension of the spring, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the rail, of the plate 0, notched to receive the body of the spike, a series of links M, pivoted to said plate, the bar L, supported by said links, and means for reciprocating said bar to move the links to oppositely-inclined positions, substantially as described. 7

3. The combination, with the switch-section, the connecting-rod D, and lever E, of a spring holding said switch normally in line with the main track, and the bell-cranklever J, connected to a bar L, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. \VILLISTON.

\Vitnesses:

M. B. ODoeHERrY, N. L. LINDoP. 

